Tuscaloosa County Jail

The Tuscaloosa County Jail is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama  and is operated by the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office. This facility holds inmates who have been arrested by local county or city law enforcement, and is the primary detention center for all law enforcement agencies in Tuscaloosa County. 

Inmates are incarcerated for crimes ranging from a violation of misdemeanors to felonies. The Tuscaloosa County Jail houses:

• Persons who have been charged with a crime and are awaiting trial
• Those who have been arrested on warrants
• Those who have been sentenced to the county jail for one year or less for a misdemeanor crime
• Those who've been placed on hold by Alabama Probation and Parole
• Inmates sentenced by municipal courts in the county
• People who have been placed in the jail "on hold" by other agencies, and
• Inmates who are waiting to be transferred to their assigned Alabama Department of Corrections facility
• ICE detainees

To see a current inmate roster for the Tuscaloosa County Jail, click here. 

Posting A Bond

There are several methods that allow an inmate to be released from the Tuscaloosa County Jail.  They are as follows:

• Post Bond or Bail
• EOS (End of Sentence)
• Release by Judge or Magistrate / Court Order
• Qualify for Pretrial Release Program

If an inmate is able to post bond then they must do it through one of the bondsmen approved through Circuit Court.  These bondsmen are posted both in booking and in the lobby of the Tuscaloosa County Jail.

The different types of bonds accepted by the Tuscaloosa County Jail are:

• Cash Bonds:  A cash bond in the amount of the bond can be posted with the courts.  During weekday business hours, these bonds are acquired at the District Court or Circuit Court Clerk’s Offices, or Municipal Court Clerk’s Office in cases involving municipal violations.  

1. Bonding Company Bonds: Professional bonding companies are available to post bonds for inmates in Tuscaloosa County. Only companies approved by the Circuit Clerk can post such bonds. 

• Property Bonds: An inmate can have a friend or family member post a bond, using their real property as a surety. 
• Conditional Release Bonds: Under certain circumstances, an inmate can post a bond by having a friend or family member sign a Conditional Release Bond.  The inmate must meet certain requirements set forth by the Conditional Release Program.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

The Tuscaloosa County Jail now has Video Visitation which allows the inmates to visit via video from within their cell. This cuts down on movements in the jail and provides a safer environment for the staff. 

Inmates are given the opportunity to receive one visit per week lasting a total of 45 minutes with a maximum of two adults (age 16 and older with a valid state I.D. with photo).  Visiting days and hours are set by the Chief Jail Administrator.

All visitors are required to make appointments by calling (205) 349-4511 seven days a week between the hours of 7am to 4pm.  Appointments must be made 24 hours prior to the visiting day.  All visitors are required to arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled visit and provide a current state identification card with their photo.

Persons 16 and under are not allowed to visit. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.  All visitors must also be properly dressed.

VISITATION SCHEDULE & INFORMATION

Call (205) 349‐4511 to Schedule an Appointment. Visitation is held seven days a week from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. You must call between the Hours of 7am – 4pm the day BEFORE you want to visit an inmate.

Only ONE visit per week (Sunday starts the new week) and only TWO (2) people per visit. You must be listed on the inmates visitation list to make a visitation appointment.

Purses, Bags and or cell phones are not allowed in the facility. Please leave them in your vehicles.

Dress Code

Appropriate clothing is required for any and all visitations. Please follow these guidelines.

• NO SHORTS, NO SHORT SKIRTS OR SKIRTS WITH SLITS
• NO SLEEVELESS SHIRTS
• NO SHORT SHIRTS OR LOW CUT TOPS
• NO LOW CUT JEANS
• STOMACH AND CLEAVAGE MUST BE COVERED AT ALL TIMES

The dress code is strictly enforced. Failure to follow dress code guidelines will prevent you from being allowed into the visitation area.

Inmates have access to the U.S. Postal Service, and may correspond with persons and organizations. All incoming and outgoing mail is checked by staff for content, cash, money orders, and any unauthorized items considered to be contraband before being delivered to the appropriate person. Prohibited items received through the mail are returned to the sender or discarded.  

Permitted Items

Inmates are allowed to have:

• Contact lenses
• Prescription eyeglasses (approved by medical staff)
• One Religious Text such as the Holy Bible, Quran, Torah etc.
• Three Photos
• Legal documents pertaining to their case

Friends and family are allowed to send these items through the mail or drop them off at the jail.

Inmates may also have approved white underclothing dropped off within the first 72 hours of their incarceration, seven days a week between the hours of 8 am and 4pm.

How to Call an Inmate

You can't call an inmate who is housed at the Tuscaloosa County Jail, but they do have access to phones in their housing units (upon completion of the booking process) and can make outgoing collect calls.

How to Send Money

When inmates are booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail, the cash that they have on them is placed into an account at the Sheriff’s Office that allows them to purchase items from the jail commissary. 

The Tuscaloosa County Jail offers a KIOSK located in the Front Lobby of the Facility for Family and Friends to deposit funds on an inmate's commissary account.  This KIOSK is able to take cash and credit cards.  For each cash transaction there is a service fee charge.  You can also add funds online at www.jailatm.com.

Programs For Inmates

Health Care

Medical care is 24 hours a day for emergencies and on a scheduled basis for non-emergencies.

Sick call is conducted Monday thru Saturday by a licensed nurse. Medical-staff deliver needed medications on a daily basis. 

The Tuscaloosa County Jail provides certain medical services at no charge:

• Admitting physical screening
• Admitting dental screening
• Mental health screening
• Medical emergencies (if determined by medical staff)

The medical services requiring payment are:

• Dentist visits
• Sick call
• Doctor visits
• Prescription medication
• Over the counter medication (Tylenol, Laxatives, etc.)

Costs for these services are:

• $25 for each visit
• $20 for each prescription if continuous on a monthly basis, for then it is $20 for all prescriptions together.

Hair Care Services

Inmates also have the opportunity for Hair Care Services.  The Barber Shop is available on a weekly basis.  The costs are as follows:

Male Services

• Basic Male: $15.00

Female Services

• Relaxer: $20.00
• Shampoo Style: $30.00
• Basic Cut: $20.00
• The Works: $50.00

Religious Services

Inmates are allowed to participate in practices of their religious faith subject to the limitations necessary to maintain order and security.  

Notary Services

The service of a notary public is available free of charge to inmates upon request.  Only items relating to their legal case are approved for nonarization.  

Inmate Worker Program

Inmates selected for the worker program are those who are considered to be low security risks, and show a promise of good behavior and consistent work habits. Before becoming an Inmate Worker, the inmate must sign a contract with guidelines that the inmate must agree to. All inmate workers are subject to random drug tests.

Inmate GED Program

The Tuscaloosa County Jail offers inmates the opportunity to sign up and attend GED classes.  

Inmate Alcoholics Anonymous Program

Inmates have the opportunity to sign up and attend AA classes.  

Inmate Anger Management Classes

The Tuscaloosa County Jail offers inmates the opportunity to sign up and attend Anger Management Classes.  

Inmate Work Release Program

The Tuscaloosa County Jail offers an Inmate Work Release Program for those that are qualified.  This program allows inmates to work their current job while being incarcerated.  There is a 25% charge taken from the gross of each paycheck when an inmate is selected for this program.

Inmate Recreation

The jail provides a recreation area available for daily exercise, as weather permits.  Inmates are not required to participate in any exercise, recreation, or leisure time activity.

Pictures of Tuscaloosa County Jail

Careers at Tuscaloosa County Jail

If you are interested in a career with the Sheriff's Department and would like more information about the job openings at the Tuscaloosa County Jail, click here.